Dental handpiece



Aug. ll, 1925.

W. L. THIEDEMANN I DENTAL HANDPIECE Filed Jan. 1 16, 1922 .llatented Ang. l1, 1925.

narrar caries.

WELLIAM L. THIEDEMANN, 0F IVIUSKEC-.ON,'MICHIG1\I, ASSIGNOR TO THIEDEMANN- HARDY CO'MPANY, OF MUSEES-ON, MICHIGAN, A COPARTNERSHIP COMPRISING YVILLIAM L. THEEDEMANN ANZ) HAZLETT M. HARDY.

DENTAL HANDPIECE.

Application filed January 16, 1322. Serial No. 529,414.

To all "te/icm t may con-cera.'

Be it known that l, illimitati L. Trimon- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bental Handpieees, of which the following is a specification.

rllhis invention relates to dental apparatus but more particularly to handpieces for use in connection with dental engines.

ln this apparatus a. bur or other form of operating tool is secured within the tool soclret of the handpiece by some form of clutch which operatively connects the tool with the rotary driving shaft. he tool carrying portion of the handpiece is inserted in the mouth of the patient, and there subjected to a. mixture including saliva and grit. This mixture enters the handpiece and there accumulates to seriously interfere with the operation of the device and produce excessive wear on the parts. ln these handpieces it frequently occurs that an eX- cess of oil is used, and this is gradually discharged into the mouth of the patient. Such a construction is obviously unsanitary and untit for use.

ln order to prevent the entrance of foreign mattei' into the handpiece and the escape of oil therefrom, l have devised a form of protector or cap which may be quickly and easily inserted over the -outer end o-f the handpiece and secured in place thereon. This protector is preferably provided with a packing ring which fits closely about the tool and produces a Huid tight joint. The protector is ellective in operation and very inexpensive to construct.

rlhe many other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood by reference to the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a selected embodiment thereof, in which F ig. 1 is a perspective view of a hand-piece provided with my improved protector.

F ig. 2 is an enlarged, side elevation of the outer end portion of the handpiece with the protector detached therefrom but in the position for attachment thereto.

F ig. 3 is a. central longitudinal section of the protector, and

Fig. lis a detail perspective view of the packing ring. A I

Referring to the drawing, the handpiece Sis of well-known malre and will -not be described in detail as its particular construction forms no part of the present invention. he opera-ting tool 6 is inserted in t-he tool holder 7 at the outer end ofthehandpiece and is held therein by the usual clutch (not shown). The clutch is operated by relative movement of the parts 8 and 9 of the handpiece.

The particular form of the protector 10 would naturally be varied to suit the hand- `piece upon which it is to be used lbut the general principles are the same in all cases. "he protector l() comprises a thin metallic shell which tits closely the outer end of the holder 7. The end portion 1l of the protector 10 is provided with a cylindrical passage 12 tting the shank 13 of the tool 6. A packingl ring 1l of medicated felt or other suitable material is inserted into the groove 15 in the walls of this passage. This ring 14 absolutely prevents fluid, grit, or other matter entering the handpiece and also the escape of oil from the handpiece into the mouth of the patient.

The inner end 16 of the protector 10 is slotted longitudinally to provide a spring grip to retain the protector upon the handpiece. ln the particular handpiece illustrated an annular corrugation 17 is formed on the outer portion, and this is tightly engaged by the inner end of the protector. An annular corrugation 18 is preferably formed in the protector.

In practice the cap or protector wo-uld usually be attached to the handpiece previous to the insertion of a. tool in the socketA butJ this might be reversed where the nature of the tool would permit, as in the type illustrated in the drawing.

I am aware that the form of the protector would necessarily be considerably varied for different types of handpiece, and l' reserve the right to make all such changes therein as would fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

l claim as my invention:

l. In a dental apparatus, the combination with a handpiece having a tool soclret formed in the outer end thereof, of a cap com prising a metallic shell closely fitting over said outer end and having its inner portion yieldingly gripping the handpieoe, said shell being provided with an orifice registering with the socket in Said liandpiece and forming a continuation thereof, and a packing ring` seated in a groove in the Wall of said orifice to form a fluid tight joint between said oap and the tool in said socket.

2. In a dental apparatus, the combination With a handpiece having a tool socket formed in the outer end thereof, of a. cap

closely fitting over said outer end and having its inner portion splitl longitudinally to form a clutch to engage the handpiece, said cap being provided with an orifice registering with the socket in said handpiece and forming a continuation thereof, and a packing ring in said cap about said orifice to form a fiuid tight joint between said cap and the tool in said socket.

3. In dental apparatus, the combination with a handpiece having a tool socket formed in the outer end thereof, of a cap fitting over said outer end and having its inner portion split substantially longitudinally to form a. clutch to engage the handpiece, said cap being provided with an orifice registering with the socket in said handpiece and forming substantially a continuation thereof.

VILLIAM L. THIEDEMANN. 

